TreeJ'S MOCK DRAFT

TreeJ'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 25, 2026

Mock 5.0

  • TreeJ DRAFTING FOR THE
    Vikings
Draft Selections
Jeremiyah Love Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Jeremiyah Love
RB Notre Dame
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (MIN)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (MIN)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 109 RND: 4 (MIN)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Eric O'Neill Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (MIN)
Eric O'Neill
DE-EDGE Rutgers
Jordan Hall Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (MIN)
Jordan Hall
DL Georgia
Tosh Baker Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (MIN)
Tosh Baker
OT Notre Dame
Haynes King Head Shot
PICK: 240 RND: 7 (MIN)
Haynes King
QB Georgia Tech
Draft Picks Received
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 109 RND: 4 (KC)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Players traded away
Head Shot
T.J. Hockenson
TE
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall D
ValueB NeedB+ TradesF FutureB-
The Vikings lost the trade table, and the D tells the story.

Nobody had Jordan Hall this high, and it is not close. The Vikings reached 50 spots to get him at No. 194.

They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.

The Lew value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.

In the end, a class the front office will want to grow past quickly.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Jeremiyah Love
Value with a capital V on Jeremiyah Love in the Round 1 slot, a genuine coup. The roster fit checks out.
Pick49 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
Dillon Thieneman at the 49th overall pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick82 Rnd3 Connor Lew
Connor Lew at pick 82 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick97 Rnd3 Zachariah Branch
The board had cheaper options than Zachariah Branch at pick No. 97, and it noticed. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick109 Rnd4 D'Angelo Ponds
A reasonable price with a little left over, D'Angelo Ponds in No. 109. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick161 Rnd5 Eric O'Neill
Eric O'Neill at slot 161 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick194 Rnd6 Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall at the 194th pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick234 Rnd7 Tosh Baker
By-the-book stuff, Tosh Baker at pick No. 234 squarely in line with his ranking. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick240 Rnd7 Haynes King
No drama and no debate, Haynes King went about where he belonged in No. 240. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.